Yarra Climate Action Now!

YCAN!’s inaugural Idiot of the Month award goes to…(drum roll please)… Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi from South Australia, for posting the following comments in a blog last week:

"I remain unconvinced about the need for an ETS [emissions trading scheme] given that carbon dioxide is vital for life on earth, the earth hasn't warmed since 1998 and many of the predictions made by climate change alarmists -- including Al Gore and Tim Flannery -- have been demonstrably false."

Unfortunately, Senator Bernardi doesn’t provide any details on the predictions he says are false. The claim that global warming stopped in 1998 is a classic cherry pick that climate change deniers use. Click here for a detailed response to this claim and the graph below says it all really. The Garnaut Review also examined this claim by asking statisticians to review global temperature data and ascertain if the warming trend stopped in 1998. They concluded that it hadn’t.




And finally the brilliance of the comment, “…carbon dioxide is vital for life on earth…”. This was the clincher. This comment cemented the judges’ decision to award Senator Bernardi the coveted prize. It displays such an acute lack of critical thought capacities as to render us at YCAN! almost speechless. By using Senator Bernardi’s insightful theory, we can hereby declare that all flood and bushfire prevention and recovery activities are a waste of time and money, as water and heat are vital for life on Earth.

Is Senator Bernardi unfit to represent the fine people of South Australia? We think so, and we hope the voters in SA will agree. In the meantime, we recommend that Malcolm Turnbull arrange some science classes for his colleagues.

Who will it be next month? Send your nominations to YarraCAN@gmail.com

“The surrender is virtually complete. Our biggest polluters have won, and the rest of us will be paying for it under a joke of an emissions trading scheme that encompasses a significant transfer of wealth to our largest polluters.”

Bernard Keane, crikey.com.au

The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme released today by Kevin Rudd, represents a total capitulation to the forces of short term greed and inaction.

The emissions target of 5 per cent reduction on 2000 levels by 2020, rising to a 15% cut in the event of a global agreement, is not even close to what the science says is necessary to avoid runaway climate change – a catastrophe which will claim hundreds of millions of lives and impoverish everyone else.

According to the latest science there is already too much carbon in the atmosphere. Emissions need to go as close to zero as possible, as soon as possible, with measures then taken to remove carbon from the atmosphere to appropriate levels, generally estimated to be around 300-325ppm CO2 – for more information on this, click here or visit the IPCC website.

The weak emissions target also marks Australia’s return to pariah status in the international policy arena on climate change. A 15 per cent target is a joke for a wealthy country such as Australia, and this target will help to sabotage any slim chance that the world community had of negotiating a decent emissions reduction agreement in Copenhagen in 2009.

This agreement not only ignores the science, but it also represents a massive transfer of wealth to big business, via free permits and compensation. Power generators, including coal-fired power stations, will share in $4 billion of “compensation”. This was a mistake made in the European emissions trading scheme, which resulted in massive windfall profits for power generators and price rises for consumers. The Federal Government is aware of this but has obviously decided to repeat the same mistakes the Europeans made.

There will also be a free permit bonanza, with emissions intensive trade exposed firms getting up to 90 per cent of their permits for free.

It is also an immoral policy which will see the poorest people of the poorest countries suffer first, even though they are not to blame for the world’s historic greenhouse gas emissions.

This cannot be allowed to stand. This is a suicidal and irresponsible policy and the Rudd Government is betraying the Australian people. The Rudd Government spin is that they are negotiating the middle ground between environmentalists and industry. In reality, they are ignoring the science and not being truthful with the Australian people on what the true consequences of their weak policies are.

This policy has come about because of a lack of strength and leadership in the government, but also because the public is not actively demanding a science-based climate change policy. The only way we can turn this ship around is to get off our bums and hit the streets.

We need you to join us.

Read Michael Green's article in the Saturday Age about our climate action movement by clicking here.

The Climate Emergency Network has initiated a project to model economy-wide solutions to produce a 10 year transition to a safe climate economy across Australia. The project is called Plan Z.E.D. Zero Emissions Decade .

The aim is to provide detail of paths that can lead to rapidly achieving a safe climate economy, within a decade. Climate Emergency Network believes it will be valuable for people and organisations to know about such paths:

• to influence how people think about climate change policy and action.
• so that a real transformation of the Australian economy can be undertaken urgently .

The project will be undertaken in four stages.

Stage 1
The first stage will be undertake by the group Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) who have been working for well over a year on a near-zero emissions/10 year transition plan for Victoria. BZE will extend their current Victorian to cover the whole of Australia. It will also the establishment of the infrastructure to enable Australia to make a fully effective contribution to the draw down of all the excess CO2 in the air as past as possible.

Specifically, the Plan will outline:

• A staged execution plan for Australia to transition to a zero carbon economy by 2020 (utilising only currently proven, viable and costed technologies & practices)
• The costs and benefits of Australia pursuing a zero carbon target
• The necessary policy options and resources to achieve a zero carbon economy that will produce the best possible outcome for Australia
• The sectoral and regional implications of Australia progressing to a zero carbon economy
• The economic and strategic opportunities in Australia taking a lead role within the global context of carbon constraint

The Plan will consist of individual reports into the following sectors of the Australian economy:

• Stationary Energy
• Transport
• Land Use (Agriculture, forestry & carbon drawdown)
• Housing and Commercial Buildings
• Industrial Processes
• Export Revenue
  

The Plan will be developed with the intention of protecting and enhancing the key economic, social and environmental parameters of Australian society including; maintaining a high standard of living; security of energy and food supply; access to mobility; and comfort and well being for all.

Stage 1 is due to be completed by early 2009.

Stage 2:
In stage 2 the Climate Emergency Network will conduct an assessment of the BZE Australia-wide plan so that CEN can have an accurate view about how robust and viable the plan is for achieving a safe climate economy within a decade period. This component of the overall project would try to elicit information on the strengths and weaknesses of the BZE plan, and would be designed to draw out potential solutions to identified problems.

Stage 3
Climate Emergency Network will take the analysis further by numerically modelling the energy and financial implications for the structure of the economy.

Stage 4
Climate Emergency Network will actively use the results.

Funding
While most of the work already done and being offered by BZE is by energetic and committed volunteers, we do need some funds to employ people for project management, and to support administration, report writing and research. This will also mean the project can be done both more efficiently and in the shortest time frame possible.

Funds are being provided through fundraising efforts of CEN. To date a single generous donation of about $25,000 has given a big impetus to starting Stage 1. As well local fundraising in Melbourne has provided about $3500.

However more funding is needed for the completion of stage one in the shortest time possible and to be certain of employing highly regarded project evaluation experts in stage 2 and skilled modellers for stage 3.

We would therefore ask you to seriously consider making a contribution to the success of this project by digging deeply. Remember all sizes of donations are valuable – as they were in Obama’s campaign in the US! We estimate we will need at least $100,000.

Make your Donation: Click here.

OR

Make a donation and give it as a Xmas Gift: Click here.

• Give a Xmas Gift to your family or friends by making a donation to Plan Z.E.D..
• We will send you a special Climate Emergency Network –
  All We Want for Xmas …..is a Sustainable Future Xmas card with a record of your donation - to give as a gift.
• Don’t forget to fill in all the details for mailing or emailing the gift Xmas card recording your donation to Plan Z.E.D.
  

All We Want for Xmas …..is a Sustainable Future

Using bulk purchasing and the Federal Government (means tested) rebate for rooftop solar panels, up to 200 Yarra home owners can purchase 1kW solar photovoltaic systems for their homes for $2,830. Your household must be earning less than $100,000 to be eligible for this offer.

This deal has been brokered by the City of Yarra and further information is available at:
http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/Environment/Solar.asp

You must sign up before 31 January 2009.

A great way to lower your electricity bills and produce clean energy.